DCF: Cops should have filed missing persons report

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Child welfare officials say Hallandale Beach Police should have filed a missing person report last October after talking with a mother who hadn't seen her baby in more than a year.

Authorities dug up, what they believe is the baby's remains in the backyard of the parent's former home Friday. An officer reported to the state abuse hotline in October that the mother said the father makes excuses whenever she asks to see the baby. According to a transcript released Monday, the officer said he didn't know the whereabouts of the child, adding the mother didn't know whether the baby was alive.

The Department of Children and Families did nothing with the call, saying they don't have authority to investigate missing persons. Police didn't respond to an email seeking comment.

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